Nanolab

The Max-Planck-EPFL Joint Lab is focusing on the bottom-up fabrication and characterization of nanostructures and molecular assemblies with atomic precision.

The interactions in molecular assemblies and their response to external stimuli are governed by dynamic energy and/or charge transfer processes. Applying molecular nanoscience and technology to molecular nanosystems offers a unique potential to unravel the mechanisms underlying these exchange and coupling processes. With recent advances of supramolecular chemistry, a huge library of molecular structures of increasing complexity and chemical functionalities is available for the self-assembly of a vast range of structures at the surface. This permits engineering novel materials and their study by state-of-the-art surface science techniques like scanning tunnelling microscopy. The multilevel approach of the joint lab allows an atom-by-atom trip to the core of hybrid materials and aims to understand and engineer relevant chemical processes starting from the single molecule level all the way to 2D and 3D systems.

We are excited to coordinate the surface science work package of the EU project A-LEAF, one of the biggest artificial photosynthesis research projects funded by the European Commission.

A-LEAF is a multidisciplinary Project that brings together materials chemistry, computational chemistry, surface physics, engineering and state-of-the-art characterization techniques. The final objective of the consortium is the validation of a prototype able to transform CO2 into added-value products in a sustainable and cost-efficient way to be transferred to the European industry.

This proposal offers many exciting challenges to apply our state-of the-art methods to characterize new catalytic surfaces. We have all the experimental power and the expertise in surface science to undertake these challenges. If you are a highly motivated scientist with experience in electrochemical STM, do not hesitate to send me your application (magali.lingenfelder@epfl.ch).